Security Levels

United States Coast Guard

Direct Commission Lawyer Program

The Direct Commission Lawyer Program hires
between 6 and 12 new attorneys each year. The recruiting cycle runs with
the fiscal year (Oct 1 - Sep 30), with one to three selection boards between
October and February for training starting July or August. Deadlines are
approximately six weeks prior to established deadlines. The Coast Guard
Recruiting website www.gocoastguard.com
contains further details regarding application deadlines. After the last
deadline for the fiscal year, completed applications will only be considered for the following fiscal year.

The United States
Coast Guard is a military, multi-mission, maritime service and one of the
nation’s five Armed Services. Its mission is to protect the public, the
environment, and U.S.
economic interests - in the nation’s ports and waterways, along the
coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required to support national security.

The need...

Because of its expansive role in the country's
national defense and maritime interests, the Coast Guard has a continuing need
for military attorneys. To help meet this need, the Coast Guard offers
qualified law school graduates the opportunity to serve as military judge
advocates. The Coast Guard's legal program reflects the service's missions.
Judge Advocates frequently are involved in such diverse areas as Military
Justice, Trial Advocacy, Tort Law, Administrative Law, Maritime and
International Law, Environmental Law, Labor Law, Procurement Law, and Law
Enforcement, among other areas.

How it works...

Selectees are required to serve on active duty as Coast Guard
officers and receive four-year contracts. Currently, selected
are commissioned as Lieutenants in the Coast Guard Reserve and receive three
years of constructive active service credit (for promotion purposes only). They
attend a five week Direct Commission Officer Course at the Coast Guard Academy
in New London, Connecticut, followed by a two-week Operations Orientation
Program on board various Coast Guard Cutters, and a ten-week Basic Lawyer
Course at the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. From there, the
newly commissioned judge advocates report to their initial duty stations.

Salary & Benefits...

Since the Coast Guard is
one of the country's five armed forces, the pay and allowances are the same as
for the other military services. Your exact pay would depend on whether you
have dependents and where you are stationed. (See Pay Table
below).Benefits include
free medical and dental care, 30 days paid annual vacation (not counting ten
federal holidays), low cost $400,000 term life insurance, tuition assistance
for off-duty education, post-graduate education opportunities, and the ability
to contribute to tax-free retirement accounts under the federal Thrift Savings
Plan.Other benefits include: use
of commissaries (grocery stores) and exchanges (retail department stores),
space available travel on government aircraft, use of military recreational
facilities around the world, and excellent retirement
and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.